WEBVTT - Happy Half Hour Episode 55: A Proper Reintroduction 0:00:07.520 --> 0:00:11.760 It's time for the Happy Half Hour with your friends 0:00:11.960 --> 0:00:22.840 Christian Balboni, Will Bryant and Darren Gamp. It's that time 0:00:22.880 --> 0:00:24.840 of the week. Welcome to the Happy Half Hour podcast 0:00:24.880 --> 0:00:28.280 with your friends Will, Darren Kristen and producer Matt And guys, 0:00:28.320 --> 0:00:31.680 it is a happy half hour indeed, with the Panthers 0:00:31.720 --> 0:00:35.000 coming off of that big win in Arizona over the 0:00:35.040 --> 0:00:38.320 previously eight and one Cardinals, with Cam Newton back in 0:00:38.360 --> 0:00:41.320 the in the mix for Carolina. I mean, we talked 0:00:41.360 --> 0:00:44.320 about the immediate reaction last week. Of course we waited 0:00:44.360 --> 0:00:47.199 to podcast until um the dust had settled just a 0:00:47.240 --> 0:00:49.480 little bit. But now we've seen him in his first 0:00:49.560 --> 0:00:52.360 game action back with the Panthers. And people can't see 0:00:52.400 --> 0:00:54.760 this because this is a podcast and not on video. 0:00:54.840 --> 0:00:57.200 But Will and I are both sitting here recording this 0:00:57.240 --> 0:01:01.040 podcast while wearing large fat hats with feathers in them, 0:01:01.120 --> 0:01:05.360 so that theater of the mind and you just smoke 0:01:05.400 --> 0:01:07.440 at the same time into the same mike Weirdly. I 0:01:07.440 --> 0:01:09.200 don't know why you guys are doing that. All I 0:01:09.240 --> 0:01:11.440 have to say is y'all made fun of me at 0:01:11.480 --> 0:01:15.480 the top of last week's podcast for saying Cam and 0:01:15.520 --> 0:01:18.959 then over the weekend, I heard Jonathan Vilma, Nate Burlison, 0:01:19.440 --> 0:01:21.760 and Michael Strahan A'll do the exact same thing on 0:01:21.880 --> 0:01:24.160 national television. As if it wasn't a thing you all 0:01:24.160 --> 0:01:27.720 made fun of me. It's a thing we do it. Okay, 0:01:29.240 --> 0:01:33.120 I'm just kidding. But that's the MG the dude brings. 0:01:33.480 --> 0:01:36.080 And it was evident on Sunday. I mean it was, 0:01:36.360 --> 0:01:39.199 you know, as Matt Rule said, man takes his first 0:01:39.200 --> 0:01:42.360 two touches for touchdowns. That's like a movie. It's not 0:01:42.440 --> 0:01:45.319 a real thing that happens in the world. It's just 0:01:45.400 --> 0:01:48.480 this cinematic quality. And we'll talked about last week like 0:01:48.640 --> 0:01:51.160 we were watching the movie of this man's life unfold. 0:01:51.240 --> 0:01:54.160 Well this was another chapter in at that game the 0:01:54.200 --> 0:01:57.080 other day and and people were freaking out. I mean, 0:01:57.600 --> 0:02:01.720 look at Christian McCaffrey, who's normally the most poised, composed 0:02:01.760 --> 0:02:03.720 person in the world, and he was just over there 0:02:03.840 --> 0:02:06.760 losing it, not really knowing what he was doing with 0:02:06.800 --> 0:02:09.720 his arms and legs. And that's the effect. If, yes, 0:02:09.880 --> 0:02:13.000 if you go onto the Panthers Twitter, you'll see Darren 0:02:13.040 --> 0:02:15.120 tried to do it. But again theater of the mind, um, 0:02:15.280 --> 0:02:17.560 no one can see it. He does this weird kind 0:02:17.560 --> 0:02:22.040 of like floppy hand dance. That's why I think it's 0:02:22.080 --> 0:02:24.360 the Bernie. But he just did it poorly until he 0:02:24.480 --> 0:02:25.920 was just like, I don't know what I was doing. 0:02:26.120 --> 0:02:27.919 It looked like the Bernie to be one thing. That 0:02:27.960 --> 0:02:29.760 because I was on the sideline for the game, and 0:02:29.840 --> 0:02:33.720 I don't know if this was captured on the TV broadcast, 0:02:33.960 --> 0:02:36.760 imagine it was. I want to say maybe it was 0:02:36.960 --> 0:02:41.760 the first touchdown that or they remember when they thought 0:02:41.840 --> 0:02:43.799 Christian scored right and he was out of bounds with 0:02:43.840 --> 0:02:47.160 the two he Kimden came off the bench and Christian 0:02:47.280 --> 0:02:50.360 leaped into his arms as if it were like, uh, 0:02:50.840 --> 0:02:52.920 not quite the dirty dancing, but it was like it 0:02:52.960 --> 0:02:55.320 was like a like an ice dancing lift. It was 0:02:55.360 --> 0:02:57.600 great to see, but then of course, you know, it's celebration. 0:02:57.600 --> 0:03:00.480 Doesn't quite work when when you when you old score. 0:03:00.560 --> 0:03:02.440 But in the in the heat of the moment, everyone 0:03:02.480 --> 0:03:04.840 thought he had you know, gotten in and um, it 0:03:04.880 --> 0:03:07.760 was before the they looked at the play. If I'm 0:03:07.760 --> 0:03:09.799 not mistaken, that happened at one point in the game, 0:03:09.800 --> 0:03:12.280 and I think it was that that first run of 0:03:12.360 --> 0:03:15.080 Christians where they thought he got into into score. There's 0:03:15.120 --> 0:03:18.000 a great picture of them from the Atlanta game in 0:03:19.440 --> 0:03:21.600 where they both like had their arms out like this 0:03:21.720 --> 0:03:23.520 kind of like on the front of the Titanic and 0:03:23.520 --> 0:03:26.160 then they just like leapt up onto like ten feet 0:03:26.200 --> 0:03:28.480 in the air and it's this this fantastic frame of 0:03:28.520 --> 0:03:30.480 like the background of the stadium of like the two 0:03:30.480 --> 0:03:34.200 of them like screaming, just like it's incredible. I'm picturing 0:03:34.240 --> 0:03:38.040 that Lebron Dwayne Wade picture, you know what I'm talking about, 0:03:38.080 --> 0:03:41.040 where there they both have their arms out. We've referenced 0:03:41.040 --> 0:03:46.840 like seven visual things in the first three minutes. Yeah, yeah, 0:03:46.960 --> 0:03:50.880 and again Darren demonstrate all of these moves as a 0:03:50.880 --> 0:03:54.320 companion piece. When we released will illustrate it. They will 0:03:54.360 --> 0:03:58.080 be drawings and stuff, stick figures maybe, But that's the 0:03:58.520 --> 0:04:00.360 I mean, I say this all the time. That's the 0:04:00.360 --> 0:04:03.800 effect this man has on people a team, and they 0:04:03.920 --> 0:04:06.920 talked about it and Matt Rule is very big into 0:04:06.920 --> 0:04:10.080 the football now where past the impact. But he was like, 0:04:10.400 --> 0:04:13.160 you know, all that stuff is cool, the fun is good, 0:04:13.200 --> 0:04:16.280 the excitement is great. You like being in that kind 0:04:16.279 --> 0:04:19.000 of atmosphere as long as he's doing the work, as 0:04:19.040 --> 0:04:21.279 long as he's getting the stuff done on the field. 0:04:21.320 --> 0:04:25.240 And two touches two touchdowns last week. He's getting done 0:04:25.240 --> 0:04:28.120 on the field, and now there are new challenges with 0:04:28.160 --> 0:04:31.120 getting him, you know, up to speed and actually learning 0:04:31.160 --> 0:04:33.800 what the Panthers do offensively and stuff like that. But 0:04:34.000 --> 0:04:37.120 right now we're just I mean, we are truly in 0:04:37.160 --> 0:04:40.719 the middle of a hurricane of a moment and it's 0:04:40.800 --> 0:04:43.239 just in a but in a good way, and there's 0:04:43.360 --> 0:04:46.280 just so much stuff going on you just kind of 0:04:46.320 --> 0:04:50.159 try to latch onto one thing, and um, I mean 0:04:50.200 --> 0:04:54.040 it really it defies descriptions sometimes. You know, Matt used 0:04:54.080 --> 0:04:57.159 the phrase force of nature yesterday talking about Camp, but 0:04:57.240 --> 0:04:59.880 it's seriously what he is. He's a rock star, he 0:05:00.000 --> 0:05:04.240 he's a weather event. He's a force of nature. That's 0:05:04.400 --> 0:05:08.040 it sounds overdone, It sounds corny and cliche, and they 0:05:08.080 --> 0:05:11.360 all happen to be true. I agree. I really liked 0:05:11.440 --> 0:05:14.480 what what Matt Rule said yesterday, so we heard him 0:05:14.480 --> 0:05:16.200 staying in the press conference, and then I asked him 0:05:16.200 --> 0:05:18.279 about it later as I was doing an interview for 0:05:18.320 --> 0:05:21.120 our TV show, where he said, yes, you know, Darny, 0:05:21.160 --> 0:05:23.279 were just talking about the energy. Yes, he brings the energy, 0:05:23.360 --> 0:05:25.559 and that's the big storyline, and that's what everyone's talking about, 0:05:25.640 --> 0:05:27.880 but really it kind of diminishes the other stuff that 0:05:27.920 --> 0:05:30.279 we're seeing him do. If you're just talking about the 0:05:30.360 --> 0:05:32.919 energy he brings, what he did when he was in 0:05:32.960 --> 0:05:35.920 the game, as as you said, Darren, the stuff he's 0:05:35.960 --> 0:05:39.560 doing behind the scenes, the type of worker that he is. Like, yes, 0:05:39.640 --> 0:05:42.480 the energy is there and it's important, but you know, 0:05:42.600 --> 0:05:44.640 as I mean, this is football speak, but it's not 0:05:44.720 --> 0:05:46.840 like they brought him in to compete and to win. 0:05:47.200 --> 0:05:49.080 And so if you just talk about the energy that 0:05:49.120 --> 0:05:52.800 he brings, UM, which he does, you're also not acknowledging 0:05:53.120 --> 0:05:56.280 the work that he's putting in the you know, way 0:05:56.279 --> 0:05:59.200 he's taking care of his body, the person that he's trying, 0:05:59.200 --> 0:06:01.240 the leader that he trying to be for his team. 0:06:01.240 --> 0:06:03.039 And one thing I saw on the sidelines, so of 0:06:03.040 --> 0:06:06.560 course he was very limited, um in his contributions because 0:06:06.560 --> 0:06:07.840 he had been there for what a day and a 0:06:07.880 --> 0:06:10.400 half um, so they had a few things planned for him. 0:06:10.440 --> 0:06:13.000 We saw him in some short yardage situations, but like 0:06:13.240 --> 0:06:17.440 during the time that he was not on the field, 0:06:17.560 --> 0:06:20.560 he was using it to try to coach up the 0:06:20.640 --> 0:06:22.479 other players. Like I saw him put his arm around 0:06:22.480 --> 0:06:25.520 Derek Brown before the defense went out for the first series. 0:06:25.720 --> 0:06:27.960 I you know, we saw him gather the offense. I 0:06:28.000 --> 0:06:30.240 think everyone saw that. I was right behind the bench 0:06:30.279 --> 0:06:33.159 for that. And at one point he was talking to 0:06:33.279 --> 0:06:36.279 Christian and then talking to Taylor Moulton and the offensive line, 0:06:36.400 --> 0:06:39.720 showing them, like showing them something he had seen from 0:06:39.720 --> 0:06:41.680 a Cardinals defender, just to make sure. And now that 0:06:41.680 --> 0:06:43.440 that is stuff that that all the players on the 0:06:43.440 --> 0:06:45.719 Panthers are very good about doing. But I mean, he 0:06:45.839 --> 0:06:49.440 was really trying to make the most and contribute the 0:06:49.480 --> 0:06:52.440 most he could when he was not out there on 0:06:52.480 --> 0:06:54.360 the field. To let's face it, a lot of guys 0:06:54.400 --> 0:06:57.479 that he doesn't know well quite yet. I mean, that's 0:06:57.480 --> 0:07:00.760 a that's an interesting situation to come in and everything's 0:07:00.880 --> 0:07:04.080 kind of way different two years later, and you know, 0:07:04.320 --> 0:07:07.000 I'm some of them. I'm sure they haven't been properly 0:07:07.080 --> 0:07:09.279 introduced or he hasn't gotten to meet all of them. 0:07:09.320 --> 0:07:12.000 But he was really making the most of of every moment. 0:07:12.040 --> 0:07:13.720 At least that's what I saw. Yeah, and there are 0:07:13.760 --> 0:07:16.720 a lot more people on this roster who don't know 0:07:16.880 --> 0:07:19.200 him than who know him well. They know they know 0:07:19.360 --> 0:07:22.960 of him about it, but personally, and I keep thinking 0:07:23.680 --> 0:07:26.400 everything just keeps getting ratcheted up over the course of 0:07:26.400 --> 0:07:28.400 the year. Remember when they brought in to find Gilmore 0:07:28.440 --> 0:07:30.720 and Phil Snow was talking about introducing him to somebody 0:07:30.760 --> 0:07:33.720 and said, it's to find Gilmore. Everybody knows Cam's on 0:07:33.760 --> 0:07:37.680 a different level. Literally, everybody in the entire world knows 0:07:37.720 --> 0:07:42.640 who Cam Newton is. But what is it fourteen guys 0:07:42.680 --> 0:07:45.600 on this roster who have ever been around him? You know, 0:07:45.760 --> 0:07:49.280 And obviously that's a small percentage. So these guys are 0:07:49.320 --> 0:07:51.800 getting a crash course in Cam as much as he's 0:07:51.840 --> 0:07:54.280 getting a crash course and met Rule and and Joe 0:07:54.320 --> 0:07:57.240 Brady's game plan office, and we're getting a little bit 0:07:57.280 --> 0:08:00.280 of a crash course too. I mean, and I want 0:08:00.280 --> 0:08:02.400 to overplay this kind of storyline of all this, but 0:08:02.480 --> 0:08:05.040 it does feel like it's it's Cam two point oh 0:08:05.040 --> 0:08:07.960 to an extent, like there there's a different you know, 0:08:08.040 --> 0:08:10.320 Cam has talked about the perspective he he took this 0:08:10.360 --> 0:08:12.120 fall when he talked last Friday, you know, in that 0:08:12.160 --> 0:08:14.520 really long press conference of you know what it was like. 0:08:14.560 --> 0:08:16.760 You know, he was eating cereal last week. You know, 0:08:16.840 --> 0:08:18.880 Darren Is still has a lot of work to figure 0:08:18.920 --> 0:08:21.680 out what cereal kind of cereal right, I will find out. 0:08:22.720 --> 0:08:25.160 But you know that that he's had this perspective of 0:08:25.200 --> 0:08:27.800 what it's like when you have to be at home, 0:08:28.080 --> 0:08:29.880 you don't have coaches, you don't have anyone else. You're 0:08:29.880 --> 0:08:32.000 in charge of your life. You have to structure it. 0:08:32.120 --> 0:08:34.439 You have to put in the work to to organize 0:08:34.520 --> 0:08:36.400 and be on top of the things that are important, 0:08:36.440 --> 0:08:39.640 and to prioritize yourself rather than have other people prioritized 0:08:39.720 --> 0:08:41.440 for you. And he was talking about like how much 0:08:41.480 --> 0:08:43.600 that's helped him and how much that's helped him grow. 0:08:43.920 --> 0:08:46.600 And I think, you know, coming back, there's both an 0:08:46.600 --> 0:08:51.200 appreciation for you know, hey, I'm playing football, and but 0:08:51.360 --> 0:08:53.959 also a you know, an understanding of what it kind 0:08:53.960 --> 0:08:55.760 of can take. I mean, obviously he took some stuff 0:08:55.800 --> 0:08:58.000 from Bill Belichick and that time in New England, but 0:08:58.040 --> 0:09:01.120 I do think there's a different a different level of focus, 0:09:01.120 --> 0:09:02.920 and there's a different I mean I think DJ and 0:09:03.000 --> 0:09:05.080 CMC and all those guys would be like, they don't 0:09:05.080 --> 0:09:07.280 want to overstate it publicly, but I think they would 0:09:07.280 --> 0:09:08.720 probably say, are you just a little bit of a 0:09:08.720 --> 0:09:11.520 different cam? Yeah? And and how would there not be 0:09:11.679 --> 0:09:14.760 I mean, he went from here where you listen for 0:09:14.840 --> 0:09:16.400 lack of a better word, Cam is able to do 0:09:16.440 --> 0:09:18.880 whatever he want, whenever he wanted. When he was playing 0:09:18.880 --> 0:09:22.720 for the Carolina Panthers, there were no breaks on Cam Newton. Uh, 0:09:22.760 --> 0:09:27.240 he goes to New England, where it's all break, no gas, 0:09:27.280 --> 0:09:31.760 Everything is prescribed, everything is controlled. Fun is not on 0:09:31.840 --> 0:09:34.960 the menu. You know, whether you enjoy your life in 0:09:34.960 --> 0:09:37.960 New England is of no concern whatsoever to Bill Belichick. 0:09:38.679 --> 0:09:43.640 And then he's unemployed. So I mean the idea that 0:09:43.720 --> 0:09:47.040 he's changed, Well, yeah, how would he not be changed? 0:09:47.640 --> 0:09:50.920 Any of those who have ever been in situations where 0:09:50.920 --> 0:09:53.199 there was some degree of comfort, then there's a change, 0:09:53.280 --> 0:09:56.640 then there's unemployment, It's like, yeah, it kind of forces 0:09:56.720 --> 0:10:00.440 you to refocus on on certain things and and that's 0:10:00.520 --> 0:10:03.040 kind of what he's walking in here as now. And 0:10:03.440 --> 0:10:06.560 again it's it's hard to tell, and we're caught up 0:10:06.559 --> 0:10:09.679 in the moment right now, and everybody wonders, what's it 0:10:09.720 --> 0:10:11.880 gonna look like negative, what's it gonna look like next week? 0:10:12.040 --> 0:10:15.600 I don't know. I don't have any idea how this 0:10:15.679 --> 0:10:20.000 is going to question we're gonna talk about that. I 0:10:20.040 --> 0:10:21.760 thought you were gonna tell us exactly how it's gonna 0:10:21.800 --> 0:10:24.679 go yeah, I wish I knew. He wishes he knew. 0:10:25.240 --> 0:10:28.040 Everybody does. But I think you know right now this 0:10:28.120 --> 0:10:30.600 is a crash course in being present. You know, I'll 0:10:30.600 --> 0:10:33.200 steal Ron rivera phrase be where your feet are, and 0:10:33.360 --> 0:10:36.160 that's kind of that's kind of where we are right now. 0:10:36.320 --> 0:10:39.240 I don't think it's helpful really to think about, oh, 0:10:39.320 --> 0:10:41.600 is this gonna work in twenty two? Is this gonna 0:10:41.640 --> 0:10:44.959 work this week? And what's it gonna look like this week? 0:10:45.200 --> 0:10:48.440 I agree? So so short of asking you, Darren um, 0:10:48.480 --> 0:10:50.200 which I don't know how, you don't know how it's 0:10:50.240 --> 0:10:52.400 all gonna work out last week, but sort of asking 0:10:52.440 --> 0:10:55.719 you that, what does it look like in terms of 0:10:55.800 --> 0:10:59.719 getting a guy ready? Who Now, Matt Rule has said 0:10:59.720 --> 0:11:02.560 that they're giving Cam the majority of the reps in 0:11:02.600 --> 0:11:05.480 practice this week with the hope that he is able 0:11:05.559 --> 0:11:08.480 to go as the starter. That's that's I believe the 0:11:08.520 --> 0:11:11.040 official line, right. So I just want to make sure 0:11:11.040 --> 0:11:12.760 I get that out there, right, So, what does it 0:11:12.800 --> 0:11:16.199 look like this week? A guy gets your last Thursday incredibly, 0:11:16.440 --> 0:11:19.080 you know, just physically commanding in town. Did you know 0:11:19.120 --> 0:11:20.640 you could just you know, he can get the ball 0:11:20.760 --> 0:11:23.440 and run it for for as long as he can 0:11:23.480 --> 0:11:25.600 make it, and that's a great play, right, Like he's 0:11:25.800 --> 0:11:28.240 it's always gonna go. Well, but what does it look 0:11:28.280 --> 0:11:30.000 like to try to get someone ready with the hopes 0:11:30.120 --> 0:11:33.320 that they will start for this next game. Well, Kristen Belboni, 0:11:33.400 --> 0:11:35.880 I'm glad you asked, because there's a story coming up 0:11:35.960 --> 0:11:41.080 later this week about that very topic. Um, and I 0:11:41.160 --> 0:11:43.880 have talked to people inside the building and outside the 0:11:43.920 --> 0:11:47.800 building about what that entails, people like Vinny Testaverdy and 0:11:47.880 --> 0:11:52.480 Jake Deloum and quarterbacks who have been in this situation before. So, um, yeah, 0:11:52.520 --> 0:11:54.120 I look forward to getting that one out there in 0:11:54.160 --> 0:11:57.120 front of the people. But you know, in the short 0:11:57.200 --> 0:12:00.079 answer to that is a lot of time. I'm in. 0:12:00.440 --> 0:12:02.920 Monday was the day you come off at a late 0:12:03.000 --> 0:12:06.840 game on the West Coast, you fly back east. Everybody's 0:12:06.920 --> 0:12:09.080 kind of zombiefied. We got back, so I was on 0:12:09.120 --> 0:12:12.480 the team plane for that game. We got back at Um, yeah, 0:12:12.679 --> 0:12:15.040 but I mean, but you're actually at your house at 0:12:15.040 --> 0:12:17.320 two I would say, you know, you might land at 0:12:17.360 --> 0:12:19.920 one thirty, but you're at your house at two o'clock 0:12:19.920 --> 0:12:21.840 in the morning, and we were flying commercial and got 0:12:21.840 --> 0:12:24.480 back at five thirty am. You know, and in the 0:12:24.480 --> 0:12:28.319 bed at six thirty. Um, so it Monday is a 0:12:28.360 --> 0:12:31.960 tough day. Rule brings them in, still puts them through meetings, 0:12:32.000 --> 0:12:34.720 doing all the recovery stuff that they normally do. But 0:12:34.880 --> 0:12:38.199 most of the players were gone by mid afternoon because 0:12:38.200 --> 0:12:40.640 he knows it's been a long night. Everybody's tired. Nobody 0:12:40.720 --> 0:12:43.400 slipped well last night. Um, and they were going out. 0:12:43.480 --> 0:12:46.280 I had somebody tell me that at seven o'clock on 0:12:46.400 --> 0:12:49.880 Monday night, Cam was going upstairs to go meet with 0:12:49.960 --> 0:12:54.439 Joe and Seawan and Joe Brady, Shawn Ryan offensive coordinator, 0:12:54.520 --> 0:12:57.160 quarterback coach, and so Cam was going in to put 0:12:57.200 --> 0:12:59.240 in late nights. I mean, and that's what you do 0:12:59.360 --> 0:13:01.600 when you're trying to get caught up. It's the it's 0:13:01.640 --> 0:13:04.320 the time you have to spend. But I think it's 0:13:04.400 --> 0:13:07.280 kind of a good illustration of the way the guys 0:13:07.320 --> 0:13:09.840 approaching it. I mean, if Cam was just looking to 0:13:09.920 --> 0:13:13.080 roll in here, be Cam Newton and do his one 0:13:13.120 --> 0:13:15.600 particular thing that he's great at, that would be fine. 0:13:15.760 --> 0:13:18.360 But I mean, to be putting in a late night 0:13:18.480 --> 0:13:23.240 on that night says something. Because of course you're tired. 0:13:23.400 --> 0:13:26.800 Everybody's tired, you know. I walked in Monday night and 0:13:26.920 --> 0:13:29.320 kind of flopped at the end of the day. I mean, 0:13:29.400 --> 0:13:32.680 it was just, you know, there's it's hard to concentrate 0:13:32.760 --> 0:13:35.240 when you're that tired. But that's the time he's putting 0:13:35.240 --> 0:13:38.520 into it. He's taking it seriously, there's no question about that. 0:13:38.880 --> 0:13:42.840 Just for fun, okay, just for fun, let's go around 0:13:42.920 --> 0:13:45.160 the horn style. We'll love to do this. Let's go 0:13:45.200 --> 0:13:47.280 around the horn style and talk about one because I 0:13:47.360 --> 0:13:49.079 do want to talk about what we think next week 0:13:49.160 --> 0:13:51.360 is our next Sunday is going to look like against 0:13:51.400 --> 0:13:54.959 Washington to end things. But before we get ahead of ourselves, 0:13:55.240 --> 0:14:02.839 one non CAM related storyline or stat that you find 0:14:02.920 --> 0:14:05.719 really intriguing or that you think has contributed to to 0:14:05.800 --> 0:14:07.880 the way this team is playing, because of course, what 0:14:08.840 --> 0:14:11.599 of all the stories and and focus is going to 0:14:11.720 --> 0:14:14.280 be on CAM and has been on CAM, and rightfully 0:14:14.280 --> 0:14:17.199 so considering his legacy, But under the radar, there's there 0:14:17.240 --> 0:14:20.040 were some really great things going on, especially in that 0:14:20.120 --> 0:14:23.640 last Arizona game. Yeah, and and I can't put this 0:14:23.720 --> 0:14:25.640 in numbers the way will will be able to put 0:14:25.680 --> 0:14:29.120 it into numbers. But Shack Thompson, Ladies and Gentlemen, is 0:14:29.160 --> 0:14:32.640 playing the very best football of his entire life. Uh, 0:14:32.720 --> 0:14:35.240 he has never looked as good. He's found kind of 0:14:35.280 --> 0:14:38.320 a spiritual home. I do not know that man is 0:14:38.360 --> 0:14:41.960 a d percent physically where he could be because he 0:14:42.000 --> 0:14:44.360 had that foot injury down in Dallas. He's working his 0:14:44.440 --> 0:14:46.880 way back and and there's a little bit of management 0:14:47.320 --> 0:14:50.160 when you have something like that. But this man is 0:14:50.200 --> 0:14:53.440 exactly what that defense needs. They've invested a lot of 0:14:53.480 --> 0:14:57.080 resources and linemen through last year's draft and free agency. 0:14:57.200 --> 0:15:00.520 They've invested a lot of resources in corners, but without 0:15:00.560 --> 0:15:02.960 that guy in the middle. When you all have heard 0:15:02.960 --> 0:15:06.080 me talk about the Carolina Panthers have always had that guy. 0:15:06.120 --> 0:15:09.160 They've had Sam Mills, They've had Dan Morgan, John Beeson, 0:15:09.320 --> 0:15:12.520 Luke Keikley, etcetera. There's always been that guy in the middle. 0:15:12.840 --> 0:15:15.760 Shack is becoming one of those guys. I mean he 0:15:15.960 --> 0:15:19.160 is entering kind of rare territory and he's able to 0:15:19.200 --> 0:15:22.120 set the tone for an entire defense. I mean kind 0:15:22.160 --> 0:15:25.520 of the spirit the offense draws from Cam Newton. It's 0:15:25.520 --> 0:15:28.240 not like that because nobody's like Cam Newton, but Shack 0:15:28.320 --> 0:15:30.680 has that effect. And when he was out there was 0:15:30.720 --> 0:15:33.120 a little bit of a lull. But now that he's back. 0:15:33.320 --> 0:15:36.280 There's a different tone on that defense, and they feel 0:15:36.320 --> 0:15:40.040 like they can stop anybody. I asked him yesterday. He 0:15:40.080 --> 0:15:42.480 and I were just chatting in the building and I said, okay, 0:15:42.480 --> 0:15:46.080 serious question. How are you playing so fast? He gained 0:15:46.120 --> 0:15:47.920 weight in the offseason, like you said, he's been through 0:15:47.960 --> 0:15:50.000 foot in junk and he's playing so fast. Well, I 0:15:50.040 --> 0:15:52.360 know you have that the the stat about what the 0:15:52.480 --> 0:15:54.520 quickest sack. It was the fastest sack in the last 0:15:54.520 --> 0:15:58.240 three years. So he was like, and of course, Shack 0:15:58.320 --> 0:16:00.360 mean Jack. He was like, oh, I'm not really that, like, 0:16:00.440 --> 0:16:03.000 oh no, And Stanley Thomas Oliver was in front of 0:16:03.080 --> 0:16:04.920 us and he turned around and he was like, you 0:16:04.960 --> 0:16:09.000 are so fast, bro, You're so fast. Is like, no, 0:16:09.040 --> 0:16:10.920 I'm not. He's like, you're so fast. It was great. 0:16:11.000 --> 0:16:13.960 And he's playing I mean, as you said, he's playing 0:16:14.360 --> 0:16:16.680 his best football. And you know, it takes a little 0:16:16.720 --> 0:16:18.600 bit to get it out of him, but he'll say it, 0:16:18.680 --> 0:16:20.720 you know, And and his coaches said it, and I've 0:16:20.720 --> 0:16:22.680 talked to Thomas Davis several times. He said it, and 0:16:22.680 --> 0:16:24.600 so I asked him, I said, look, these people are 0:16:24.600 --> 0:16:26.560 saying you're playing your best football. Do you do you 0:16:26.600 --> 0:16:28.560 feel like you are, and he's like, yeah, you know 0:16:28.600 --> 0:16:30.320 what they could do. But of course he's in his 0:16:30.400 --> 0:16:33.760 shack way, very humble about being as fast as he 0:16:33.840 --> 0:16:36.120 isn't playing as well as he is. But it's it's 0:16:36.120 --> 0:16:38.400 it's great to see it's great to see him him 0:16:38.400 --> 0:16:39.760 live up to that. I mean it, like you said, 0:16:39.760 --> 0:16:42.640 big shoes to Phil. Over the last three weeks, Shack 0:16:42.760 --> 0:16:45.320 is one of two NFL players with at least twenty 0:16:45.320 --> 0:16:48.320 five tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss, one interception, 0:16:48.320 --> 0:16:52.280 one could be hit in one past reflection Kendricks Eric 0:16:52.360 --> 0:16:58.000 Kendricks to Minnesota's credible. Yeah, yeah, I mean yeah, and 0:16:58.280 --> 0:17:00.560 obviously more and more and more, but yeah, I mean 0:17:00.600 --> 0:17:02.960 just the he had just another game where he did 0:17:03.000 --> 0:17:06.400 a little bit of everything that one can do on defense. Yeah, 0:17:06.440 --> 0:17:08.879 he's everywhere, Yeah, he is everywhere. All right, Well, was 0:17:08.920 --> 0:17:14.800 that your stat of the week or whatever. I mean, 0:17:15.040 --> 0:17:17.840 I'm just like a dial up machine, you know, Just alright, 0:17:17.920 --> 0:17:21.600 put one non Shack, non cam related stat or storyline. 0:17:21.880 --> 0:17:24.719 Christian McCaffrey has averaged a hundred twenty six point two 0:17:24.760 --> 0:17:28.280 scrimmage yards, this year's second best in the NFL. He 0:17:28.320 --> 0:17:31.000 needs just forty five yards. This is for you for 0:17:31.000 --> 0:17:34.359 the sideline needs forty five receiving yards on Sunday to 0:17:34.520 --> 0:17:38.320 be in the three thousand, three thousand club. He will 0:17:38.359 --> 0:17:40.440 be the fastest player in NFL history to get there. 0:17:40.680 --> 0:17:42.720 Just text me that when you get a chance. I 0:17:42.760 --> 0:17:44.760 was gonna try to write it down. It's a great note. 0:17:44.800 --> 0:17:47.159 I'm gonna sound so smart on the radio broadcast. I 0:17:47.160 --> 0:17:49.359 literally just just I'm gonna give you a link. Just 0:17:49.400 --> 0:17:52.320 read down this this page. Absolutely keep refreshing it to 0:17:52.359 --> 0:17:54.400 give me more clicks. Okay, you got it. I can 0:17:54.440 --> 0:17:57.359 do that, no problem. Yeah. I mean he's he looks 0:17:57.400 --> 0:18:00.520 great as well, and and as you guys, and as 0:18:00.560 --> 0:18:02.879 we said earlier, just that last game, he just seemed 0:18:02.920 --> 0:18:06.520 so excited flopping his hands around as Darryl straight later. 0:18:06.680 --> 0:18:09.480 The staff that people had that it was the average 0:18:09.560 --> 0:18:12.320 yards before initial contact was like seven. I mean, he 0:18:12.480 --> 0:18:15.639 was into the linebackers and safeties before anyone got a 0:18:15.640 --> 0:18:18.359 hand on him almost every play. Well, and that's another 0:18:18.400 --> 0:18:22.040 thing too, And it's another layer. I mean, Christian McCaffrey 0:18:22.080 --> 0:18:25.399 already makes you a dangerous rushing team. Dropping Cam Newton 0:18:25.440 --> 0:18:27.840 into the middle of it just adds another layer that 0:18:27.880 --> 0:18:30.320 people have to prepare for. And I think it's interesting 0:18:30.359 --> 0:18:33.600 that they've had, like they had a little speed option plays. 0:18:33.680 --> 0:18:36.560 You saw p J. Walker run it down in Atlanta 0:18:36.800 --> 0:18:39.479 right before the almost interception in Atlanta. But you know 0:18:39.560 --> 0:18:41.800 they've got some of that in the playbook. So the 0:18:41.880 --> 0:18:44.480 idea that when you go to the goal line, it's 0:18:44.520 --> 0:18:48.800 not just quarterback power. You might be running option with 0:18:48.880 --> 0:18:51.760 Cam Newton and Christian McCaffrey. And if you're a defensive 0:18:51.800 --> 0:18:54.159 coordinator linebacker and you see that and you think that 0:18:54.240 --> 0:18:57.400 might becoming it's like, what do you do? I mean, 0:18:57.840 --> 0:19:01.520 it's almost helpless. It's like, Okay, I'm kind of jammed 0:19:01.560 --> 0:19:06.680 up here either way. Um, so play hard boys, try 0:19:06.720 --> 0:19:10.320 my best. Before we get back to the Cam story stuff, 0:19:10.520 --> 0:19:13.200 like Darren explained to me how you take all your 0:19:13.200 --> 0:19:15.520 starters out of the offensive line and then just shuffle 0:19:16.600 --> 0:19:20.440 and will No one asked me for my Noncam related storyline, 0:19:20.480 --> 0:19:24.320 and it was gonna be that, sorry, Kristen. Kristen asked 0:19:24.320 --> 0:19:26.440 the question. Well, I was just gonna say, as far 0:19:26.480 --> 0:19:28.600 as you know, the storylines that have gone under the 0:19:28.720 --> 0:19:32.239 radar because of this CAM news is the fact that 0:19:32.280 --> 0:19:35.320 it's what was the seventh configuration of a starting lineup 0:19:35.320 --> 0:19:38.920 for this offensive line UM in ten games, and they 0:19:39.000 --> 0:19:42.560 lost two starters last week in addition to the other 0:19:42.640 --> 0:19:44.639 losses that they have had throughout the season, which is 0:19:44.640 --> 0:19:46.960 why they've shuffled so much for the most part, including 0:19:46.960 --> 0:19:50.520 your center and UM and left tackle. And they go 0:19:50.560 --> 0:19:53.960